Marlin Model 1891

Lewis Hepburn Patent
Lewis Hepburn’s patent application from 1890. Click the image to download the .pdf of the original patent application.

At the beginning of the last decade of the 19th century the .22 long rifle was the newest, up-and-coming cartridge. A slightly hotter version of the .22 short (introduced 1857) and .22 long (introduced 1871) the cartridge was a near-instant success. While today the .22 is extolled for it’s accuracy, training value and efficiency on vermin sized game, in 1891 the .22 was marketed as a capable cartridge out to 200 yards and effective on medium sized game. The .22 wasn’t just a beginner’s round or introductory cartridge, it was a versatile round and discerning buyers demanded a proper rifle for such a round. Those seeking familiarity looked for rifles that would pair well with their hunting guns: in 1891 that meant a lever-action.

A letter to the editor of Recreation magazine from a Mr. A.H. Verrill, extolling the virtues of his Marlin .22RF on deer and hogs. Recreation was a biannual publication, with this letter published in Volume IX covering July-December 1898. The author does not endorse this practice…
A February, 1895 article from The American Field magazine discusses the accuracy potential of the “new long rifle cartridge” by testing three separate nitro-powders instead of the standard black powder loadings of the day. This is one of the six targets illustrated from the test.

The model 1891 wasn’t a beginner’s rifle: it was a versatile tool, and was marketed as such. The standard model sported a simple, unadorned, straight-gripped, black walnut stock with a  24” barrel. Available options included a ‘deluxe’ pistol grip, 26” & 28” barrel lengths in octagon, round, or octagon-to-round profiles, various grades of checkering, engraving, fancy walnut upgrades, and a choice of metal finishes that included bluing, case-hardening & nickel or gold plating. Prices were limited only by the stature of one’s bank account.

This C.D. Ladd catalog from 1891 advertised the rifle for $13. Standard pricing for rifles was typically higher for locations west of the Mississippi, making their pricing seem aggressive. Ladd reinforced the notion that the .22LR provided ‘excellent’ results out to 200 yards, and the benefit of a smallbore rifle that shared a manual of arms with a larger-bore arm..
H.S.B.&Co was a Chicago based retailer; their catalog from 1891 advertised the rifle for $18. At a time when skilled laborers earned as little as $1.65 a day, the price difference between the retailers was significant.

The Marlin Model 1891 is the granddaddy of .22 caliber lever-loaders: the original, the finest, and the longest produced! The 1891 was sold in two variations: the first a side loader, a baby brother to Marlin’s wildly successful Model 1889; the second a tube loader. Available for a short period of time, the side-loading variation was based on Lewis Hepburn’s patent from August, 1890 and introduced a novel carrier that allowed the rifle to reliably cycle .22 short, long, and long-rifle ammunition. The receiver closely resembled the larger-frame 1889, but the externally lubricated .22 caliber cartridges were difficult to load by hand – Marlin needed a better solution for their magazine.

Outing Magazine, September 1891
An advertisement from Outing Magazine, September, 1891 showing a first-variation 1891 with a side-loading gate and a half magazine. This rifle also has the early-style pinched front sight and fixed rear sight, which would be replaced with a blade and adjustable buckhorn in later versions. A full length magazine was not available until the second variation debuted.
A rifle from the Author’s personal collection, nearly identical in specifications as the advertisement. This second-year production 1891 was either ordered with an upgraded rear sight, or it was installed contemporaneously.

They needed to look no further than Winchester to find inspiration for a working rimfire magazine that loaded from the muzzle, but needed another option due to patent protections. Marlin’s solution was to reverse Winchester’s design to allow the outer sleeve, rather than the inner tube, to pull out for loading. This resulted in a larger diameter magazine assembly that enabled loading through a port on the inner sleeve. The design was more complex, but user friendly in that the outer sleeve didn’t detach from the magazine, and the larger diameter visually complemented the scale of the barrel.

An excerpt from the February 1891 issue of Iron Age Magazine with an article on the improvements made to the 1891 (including the new magazine tube), and showcasing some of the available options that could be ordered directly from the factory.
A detailed image of the magazine release lever on a rifle in the author’s personal collection
Marlin’s patent for the improved magazine was still pending when the first rifles were being manufactured, as evidenced by magazine articles from the era. This latch-style release was used until 1922 when it was updated with a button-style on the Marlin 39. Marlin adopted the internal tube bayonet-style most shooters are familiar with in 1939.

By late-1892 production of the side-loader had been abandoned in favor of the muzzle-loading magazine. While side-loading examples were known to have left the factory until at least late 1892, the new and upgraded model was being marketed at least as early as February 1891, extolling the virtues of the loading tube and the benefits of their accompanying new chambering: the 32 caliber.

The rising cost of ammunition was a concern at the turn of the century and Marlin advertisements sought to build demand for their lower-cost chamberings. The effort was seemingly successful with nearly 1/3 of Model 1891 rifles sold being chambered in .32 caliber.

With the transition to the tube feed alleviating the requirement for a loading gate cutout in the sideplate, Marlin was able to upscale the internals to support the then-popular .32 caliber chamberings. Released in 1860 and 1868, the .32 Rimfire Short and Long, respectively, were popular handgun cartridges in an era when having your rifle and revolver chambered in the same cartridge was a logistical benefit. Advertised as a versatile rifle round with more punch than a .22 yet still cheap to shoot, the option offered buyers the ability to cycle .32RF short or long, or with a change of firing pin the .32 colt short or long. While all calibers are now considered obsolete they were popular at the time, and Marlin advertised that the price of the rifle would be offset in the first few thousand rounds when compared to the price of the 32-20 cartridge.

Include up-close photo of the internals of a .32 caliber and .22 caliber rifle to illustrate differences between the receivers

In production for only a few years, the Model 1891 was produced until 1895 when it was replaced by the Model 1892, which incorporated all of the upgrades from the 1891 and introduced an improved trigger. During its short production run approximately 18,645 Model 1891’s were produced, making this a historically rare rifle that holds a unique place in American firearm history.

The 1894 Sears, Roebuck, & Co. Catalog advertised the 1891 in both .22 and .32 calibers, as well as additional options for 26″ and 28″ barrel lengths. The side-loading option was no longer depicted by this time; the first variation was only produced in 1891 for a total of approximately 5,000 units, though precise records are no longer available.
Perennial competitors with Sears, Montgomery Ward & Co priced the Marlin nearly 30¢ cheaper than Sears in their 1894 catalog. While the Model 1892 was the successor to the 1891, the model wasn’t actually available until 1895.

The 1891 was a truly innovative rifle and timeless design that spawned a lineage of rifles that persisted for 129 years. Perfect for any collection, hunting small game, plinking, or for under the Christmas tree to pass on the gift of freedom to the next generation. This rifle has a history and story that will never be matched by today’s crop of aluminum-framed, CNC-milled lever-actions.

The 1891 was no longer in production by the time Sears published their 1897 catalog but a few continued to be assembled from leftover components until 1903. Pricing between models was the same. The interesting aspect was the option to order a “Take Down” model 1892 – such a model was never known to have been produced; the Model 1897 would be offered beginning later the same year, though the takedown mechanism was wholly different.

More posts